Clamp



BEST AVAILABLE cow March 1941- A. F. HECKENDORF 2,234,029

CLAMP Filed April 5, 1940 Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CLAMP poration of Illinois Application April 5, 1940, Serial No.327,964

8 Claims.

This invention relates to clamps, and with regard to certain morespecific features, to guy clamps. I

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa simple and inexpensive form of clamp which will provide forsubstantial alignment between opposed pulling forces; the provision of aguy clamp of the class described in which the clamping means is latl0erally operative and which, while it provides an offset for suchalignment, also places the operating means ina position where it mayeasily be reached from the side; the provision of a device of this classin which the torque for tightening is applied in a direction to beresisted automatically; and. the provision of a clamp of the classdescribed in which is integrated a connector to receive a neutral groundwire so that the associated anchor rod may be used as a ground withoutadditional and separate clamps. Other objectswill be in part obvious andin part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated several of variouspossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the unattached clamp;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 5 of Fig. 1 but showingthe clamp applied to an anchor rod and connected with a guy wire;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a jaw and its clampscrew removed;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the jaw per se; and,

40 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing an alternative form with anintegral ground-wire connector.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral l abody portion in the lower end 3 of which is a threaded opening 5 forthreading attachment to an anchor rod 50 I, such as shown in Fig. 2. Atthe lower end of the anchor rod 1 are the usual flukes or the like (notshown) which serve ground anchoring purposes.

Extending from the lower end 3 are spaced 55 sides 9 of the'body portionl which slope to one or strand passes.

side, as shown at numeral II in Fig. 2. At their midportions these sidewalls 9 are joined by an integrally formed bridge member I3, the uppersurface of which slopes as shown at [5 and the sides of which continueas sloping shelves or 5 guides I I (see Fig. 3). At the guides l1 theside-wall members 9 bulge outwardly as indi cated at l9 to provide inconnection with a top 2i, an eye 23. The top of the eye 23 is formed asa curved seat 25 for the reception of a loop 1'0 21 of the guy wire 29.One side 3| of the eye 23 is arranged so that the center line of theadjacent tangent tensioned guy wire 29 is approximately coaxial with theanchor rod 1, as indicated in Fig. 2. 15

In Fig. 4, there is shown a wedge or jaw 32 removed from the body (asshown in Fig. 3) and turned through 180. This jaw 32 consisting of a pad33 which has a sloping bottom 35 to match the sloping surfaces 15 and I!of the body' l. 2 Protruding downwardly from the pad 33 is a lug 3! inwhich is a hole forming an eye 39; and protruding upwardly therefrom iscurved cradle 4| which complements the curved portion 25 of the eye 23to produce a substantially round 5 section through which the loop 21 ofthe cable Grip portions 43 are included in the cradle 4|, but may bedispensed with if desired.

The bridge 13 is provided with a threaded open- 30 ing for receiving athreaded draw bolt 45, an unthreaded portion 41 of which passes looselythrough the opening 39, The head 49 of the bolt is adapted to be engagedby a wrench for rotating the bolt and forcing the jaw 32 against 35 theloop 2'! to hold its clamp against the curved portion 25. The opening 39is substantially larger than the shank 41 in order to permit thevertical component of motion of the jaw which is necessitated by thesloping portions 45, ll and 35. For example, when the jaw is in clampingposition as shown in Fig. 2, the opening 39 is relatively high withrespect to the shank 41, and when the jaw is loose, after having beenbacked off, the opening 39 is relatively low.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The ground anchor with its'anchor rod 1 may be driven or otherwiseplaced in the ground, with or without the clamp in position. If it isplaced without the body I, the body I is then 50 threaded to the top ofthe anchor rod 1. The cable 29 is then looped as at 21 through the eye23 and the loose endis attached to a puller. The cable is then stretchedtight, and while under tension the cradle clamp 32 is forced against theloop 21 by rotating the head 49 of the bolt with a wrench. Thereafterthe guy wire puller is released and the free end of the loop 21 may bebound against the taut portion of the guy wire 2!] as indicated at Itwill be seen that the reactive force of the anchor 1 along its centerline coaxially meets the pull of the guy wire 29. This constitutes oneof the advantages of the invention.

Another advantage is that the rotary moment of force which is applied bya wrench to the head 49 of the bolt 41 is around an axis which issubstantially normal to the axis of pull between the cable 29 and theanchor rod 1. This is an advantage over constructions wherein the momentof force for tightening up the device is around an axis parallel to theline of force. In the latter case there is little initial reactingmoment and there is a tendency to twist the anchor and the guy wireunless provision is made against this. In the presentimprovedconstruction there is no such tendency, and the reactive forceis promptly automatically applied.

Another advantage of the invention is that the parts I3, 32 and 41, forclamping purposes, are all located compactly below the loop 21 andsubstantially within the confines of the side walls 9. This enhances thecompactness of the device, and

at the same time the bridge part I3 functions as cross brace, along withthe cross bracing functions of the lower part 3 and the part 2| abovethe eye 23.

It will be understood that the guy 29 is preferably of the metallictype, that is, a guy wire made up of one or more twisted wires or thelike. However, the application is applicable to guys made of othermaterial, such as hemp rope, solid bendable wires, and the like.

In Fig. 5 is shown the member '9 with an electric ground wire clampthereon. This comprises a boss 5| in which is a threaded hole 53 for reception of a threaded bolt 55. The bolt has a head 5! and passes througha jaw 58. Notches 59 (in the jaw 58 and in the boss 5|) serve to hold anelectric wire 6|. This permits of using the anchor I as a ground fromthe wire 6| Without difficulty from loose or insulated connectionsabove. I

The term anchor rod is used herein to designate generically variousforms of the cylinder 1,

as for example a long rod leading to a ground anchor, a bolt forfastening to a wooden member,

and the like.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved 3 and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrated and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A guy clamp comprising a body having a ,umeans at one end adapted tobe attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other endfor receiving the loop of a guy strand, said 76iable in a directionwhich is lateral with respect eye being ofiset to effect a tangent tothe rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters the eye andbeing thus adapted to make the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchorrod substantially coaxial when under tension and being located betweenspaced walls, a cradle shaped jaw for holding the guy in the eye, saidjaw being slidto the anchor rod and cradling the strand within the eyeat points to one side of said tangent, a screw for forcing the jaw intoengagement with the guy, a bridge portion between said walls forslidingly supporting the jaw and into which said screw is threaded, andan operating head on the screw ofiset from said tangent in the samedirection as the cradling points.

2. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced sidewalls, means joining said side Walls at one end and having an openingfor attachment of an anchor rod, a headed bolt, a bridge portion joiningsaid side walls at their midportions and having a threaded opening forsaid headed bolt, said side walls being joined at their upper ends witha portion to provide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, thetensioned part of the strand being capable in at least one position oflying tangent to the axis of the rod by reason of said oiTset, and a jawslidable laterally on said bridge portion, a lug on the jaw including anopening for receiving said bolt so that when the bolt is turned andthreaded into the bridge its head controls the lateral movement of saidjaw to clamp the loop in the eye.

3. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced sidewalls, means joining said side walls at one end and having a threadedopening for longitudinal attachment of an anchor rod, said side Wallsbeing ofiset toward their other ends, a laterally directed headed bolt,a bridge portion joining said side Walls in their midportions and havinga threaded lateral opening for said bolt, said side walls being joinedat their upper ends with a portion to provide an eye for receiving theloop of a guy strand, the tensioned part of the strand being capable inat least one position of lying tangent to the axis of the rod by reasonof said offset, and a'jaw slidable laterally on said bridge portion, alug on the jaw including an opening for receiving said bolt whereby thebolt may be threaded into the bridge so that its head forces the jaw toclamp the strand in said eye.

4. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced sidewalls, means joining said side walls at one end and having an openingfor attachment of an anchor'rod, said side walls being offset towardtheir other ends, a headed bolt, a bridge portion joining said sidewalls in their midportions and having a threaded opening for said bolt,said side Walls being joined at their upper ends with a portion toprovide an eye for receiving the loop of a guy strand, the tensionedwith an endwise component to clamp a portion of said loop to one side ofsaid tangent.

5. A guy clamp comprising a body portion consisting of spaced sidewalls, means joining said side walls at one end and having an openingfor attachment of a guy anchor, said side walls being offset towardtheir other ends, a headed bolt, a

bridge portion joining said side walls in their midportions and having athreaded opening for said bolt, said side walls being joined at theirupper ends with an arcuate portion to provide an eye for receiving theloop of a guy strand, the tensioned part of the strand being capable inat least one position of lying tangent to the axis of the rod by reasonof said offset, an arcuate jaw complementing the arcuate eye andslidable laterally on said bridge portion, a lug on the jaw including anopening for receiving said bolt whereby the bolt may be turned andthreaded intothe bridge so that its head controls the lateral movementof said jaw, the top portion of the bridge and the bottom portion of thejaw sloping in a direction to force the clamp to move with an endwis'ecomponent to clamp a portion of said loop to one side of said tangent,and lateral shelf-like portions in the plane of the upper surface ofsaid bridge for laterally supporting the jaw.

6. A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted to beattached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end forreceiving a loop of a guy strand, said eye being ofiset to effect atangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters theeye, the tensioned parts of the guy holding strand and the anchor rodbeing substantially coaxial when under tension, a clamp support at theeye, a clamp carried by the clamp support and wedging against the guy inthe eye, and movable means engaging said clamp to force it into clampingengagement.

'7, A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted tobe attached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other endfor receiving the loop of a guy strand, said eye being offset to efiecta tangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand entersthe eye, the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchor rod beingsubstantially coaxial when under tension, a holding jaw engageable withthe guy within the eye, means within the eye for supporting the jaw, andmeans for moving the jaw in a direction lateral to the axis-of theanchor rod and. within the eye.

8. A guy clamp comprising a body having a means at one end adapted to beattached to an anchor rod, said body having an eye at the other end forreceiving the loop of a guy strand, said eye being ofiset to effect atangent to the rod axis where a tensioned part of the strand enters theeye, the tensioned parts of the guy and the anchor rod beingsubstantially coaxial when under tension, a cradle shaped jaw movable ina direction through the eye for wedging the guy in the eye, said jawcradling the strand within the eye at points to one side of saidtangent, a support within the eye for and below the jaw, and means forforcing the jaw into engagement with the guy.

ALBERT F. HE'CKENDORF.

